Guest blogged by David Edwards
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Earlier today, Democrats in Congress unveiled the “Honest Leadership, Open Government Act” which they hope will restore a measure of honesty, integrity and transparency to government.
While a number of Democrats spoke with high aspirations, Louise Slaughter’s speech may have presented the strongest indictment of Republican ethics:
What we’re up against isn’t just the shameful work of individuals like these. It’s a much broader problem. It’s a problem that is rooted in the Republican establishment that has held power in this nation’s capital for far too long.
Sadly, their legacy has been the fundamental degradation of our democratic institutions and the abandonment of core principles.
…
And under Republican guidance, America has truly been put up for sale to the highest bidders.
Here is the full transcript of Representative Slaughter’s speech.
Yeah, Brad, but Lou Dobbs today AGAIN had on a Republican, Trent Lott, saying he’s going to "clean up Congress". The Dems don’t exist in the MSM. We have 1 party, according to them. Again, by approaching the Republican-only Abramoff scandal in this manner, CNN is giving their viewers the impression that "some other party" are the ones with all this corruption that needs cleaning up. I’m talking about live guests with Trent Lott. Lou Dobbs had a quick video flash of about a second, of the Dems announcing their reforms, but announced it as a "bi-partisan effort", not a Republican-only scandal, which it is.
And everyone should try this, I did today. Watch Lou Dobbs at 6pm, then when it’s over watch Democracy NOW! news at 7pm. It’s like news from 2 different planets. I think 1% of the stories intersected. Corporate America’s MSM TV news is going, going, gone! They report on one party only. And if there’s corruption in the GOP, they interview Republicans, and act as if the Republicans are the "hero’s" cleaning up Congress, like yesterday with McCain and Santorum.
Unbelievable! I’m strictly going to watch Democracy NOW!, if I want news on the boob-tube. CNN is a lost cause.
And think about this: CNN covered Hillary’s "plantation" comments for 2 straight days now. Would we even have know she gave a speech, if she didn’t say that? Hey, CNN, what was her speech ABOUT???
I followed the link to Rep. Slaughter’s speech and it was excellent. If I have a quibble, it’s the same one I would offer to every Democrat. Instead of saying "It’s a problem rooted in the Republican establishment," I wish Slaughter would say "it’s a problem rooted in the current Republican establishment." I would make the case that it’s the current Republican leadership that is the problem and not Republican voters who happen also to be our friends, colleagues, relatives and neighbors.
I know Republicans who do not consider themselves right wingers and who are disenchanted with what’s going on in Washington in their name. They may not vote Democratic in 2006 but they’re concerned and want to be listened to, and respected. And they may be needed to help carry out reform in Washington; and that reform will probably require bipartisan support.
But otherwise Rep. Slaughter’s speech was strong and I hope we see more speeches like that from Democrats.
Hope it’s bipartisan.
WASHINGTON – A special prosecutor’s long-delayed report charges that a coverup at senior levels of the Clinton administration killed a tax fraud case against ex-cabinet member Henry Cisneros, the Daily News has learned.
#3
As usual, you get a story on a right wing blog with nothing to back it up… No links at all.
Thanks, Brad, for always linking to other sources of info in your stuff.
Truth will win in the end…
#3
As usual, you get a story on a right wing blog with nothing to back it up… No links at all.
beg your pardon ?
can you explain your comment ?
Maybe Gore has really started something here.
Big Dan #1: I was listening to Randi Rhodes a few hours ago and she was all over the "plantation" comment, talking about the reversal of ideologies between the parties (i.e. old-time Southern Democrats are now the Republicans) and how the "plantation" analogy has been used in the past about liberals by the Republicans – just do a Google search with "liberal plantation" and see the first ten links that come up. So the Republicans crying foul on Hillary is just a bunch of hogwash (naturally.)
Did someone say "GOP Corruption" ?
Blackwell tells religious leaders to ignore complaints
HARTVILLE, Ohio (AP) — A group of pastors who have complained to the Internal Revenue Service about two evangelical churches’ support of GOP gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell are trying to unfairly pressure the churches, Blackwell says.
"You tell those 31 bullies that you aren’t about to be whupped," Blackwell told a luncheon attended by 450 religious leaders on Tuesday. The secretary of state said that "political and social and cultural forces are trying to run God out of the public square."
Was going to post that….
Neo fanatic Blackwell is one of the worst…He doesn’t fool anyone in Ohio. Over 14 lawsuit/court cases are pending with Blackwell’s name on it. Time to either move them up quickly or remove the stonewalling judge.
Doug E.
Here we have a Secretary of State who is not a clergyman telling religious leaders than 31 actual clergymen represent "political, social and cultural forces…trying to run God out of the public square.
I wonder how the parishioners at the 31 churches feel about that.
MMIIXX (#3 and #5)
I had re re-read that a few times too.. What was being said was, the link you gave is on a "right-wing blog".. YOU were being facetious, but apparently (and I’ve not followed your link) the link you gave has no supporting links/info.. The poster at #4 was pointing out how the "right-wing blogs" don’t support their bullshit positions with links or facts, but Brad does.. It wasn’t an attack on you, it was an attack on right-wing blogs 🙂
Eldrich & Mills are the modern Woodward & Bernstein (before Woodward sold out, I mean). Do you two guys know each other?
Still chiming in about Lou Dobbs. He also had on as a live guest, an attorney who was FOR Bush wiretapping, and he had on a clergyman who was FOR mixing religion with politics. Unbelievable! (but OT, sorry).
The people who ask me how many of my rights I am willing to give up instinctively get a response asking them how many of their wrongs they are willing to give up.
For Big Dan: I’ll take that as a compliment. Don’t know if I’m supposed to be Woodward or Bernstein.
Never met Doug E., nor anyone on Bradblog. I have established nice e-mail correspondences with a few, though. There are other good blogs, but in my view none have as many sharp, well-informed people per square inch of bandwidth.
"The long-awaited final report by Independent Counsel David Barrett, to be released today [Thursday], was severely censored by court order but not enough to sufficiently obscure its importance. As long forecast, it alleges serious corruption in the Clinton administration’s Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS)"
BRAD. I THOUGHT IT WAS WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG. WHERE IS YOUR STORY ABOUT THIS REPORT?
http://townhall.com/opinion/col...19/182958.html
I KNOW YOU MUST BE PREPARING IT NOW SINCE YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT CORRUPTION. OH WAIT, YOU DONT.
To Craig :
You say you have friends that are disenchanted with the corruption of the present Republican administration, but yet will not vote them out of office.
To me that gives the approval to continue. There must be some independents or Democrats that would bring change if voted in. I hope I read your message wrong because it says to me
Republican right or wrong…which is just dumb.
#3 and #5, sorry, I suppose my late night spew wasn’t very well aimed. I’m glad somebody got my drift.
Right wing blogs generally don’t support what they report….
Ricky, #18.. so.. we should stop looking into/prosecuting the criminals who are CURRENTLY in office and comitting crimes until after the guy who’s not in office is fully investigated?
Lemme get this straight.. You are so partisan that you think an ex-president (from the other party) should be prosecuted BEFORE the sitting president (from your party)?
It’s been said MANY MANY MANY times, and keeps falling on your deaf and shit-filled ears, Ricky.. If CLINTON did something ILLEGAL, then PROSECUTE HIM.. Why the fuck can’t you get that through your thick head? NO ONE HERE IS TRYING TO PROTECT CLINTON.. get it? Do we FULLY support prosecuting Clinton if he did something ILLEGAL?? YES.. One more time, since you’re that fucking stupid.. YES, we support prosecuting Clinton. BUT, let’s STOP THE CURRENT CRIMES -first-.. hmmmk? Once the criminal CURRENTLY comitting crimes is STOPPED, then lets go get ALL the politicians that comitted crimes.. ALL OF THEM.. hmmmk?
It will never cease to amaze (and disgust) me just how pathetic and ignorant the neocon whores are.. Ricky, Paul, Medium [has his head]Right[up his ass], et. atl.. Get a friggin clue.. WE care about fixing the GOVERNMENT, YOU care bout partisan bullshit, moving your agenda, being hypocrits and all around fucking over whom ever you can for your own gain. You suck, you are scum, you are the EXACT problem with the world today.. WE want to fix it, YOU want to exacerbate the problems and beneifit from the chaos.
Oh.. and no, Ricky.. you will NOT be able to take the focus off the topic of this thread, and the single biggest ring of corruption in decades (possibly our history).. YOUR party is FULL of criminals, and you STILL try to justify/excuse it by saying "HEY! your guy did it!".. illogical, not acceptable, and showing of how pathetic you really are.
REPUBLICANS are BATHED in CORRUPTION in washington.. yet, you keep trying to minimize that, distract from that, SPIN that. Sorry, not buying it.. You are as to blame as these criminals in office in Washington.. you support them, allow them to continue to operate by not holding them accountable.. you are an accomplice.. aiding and abetting KNOWN criminals..
Lemme get you your little helmet and get you on the short bus..
The Barrett report is about Henry Cisneros and his tax problems. It’s a ten-year-old story.
Don’t know how old you are, Ricky (you write like a very young child, so you mgiht not remember), but Cisneros was all over the papers in the mid-’90s. Most of the focus was on his sex life (surprise, surprise), but Barrett was also allowed to look into his financial dealings.
Barrett’s main issue seems to be that Janet Reno only allowed him to look at one I.R.S. return. That was probably too lenient. Clinton himself was also too eager to help Cisneros out back then.
But for you to suggest that this story, after ten years, should be featured on Bradblog is just plain silly. A guy comes out with a report ten years after the fact, and five years after the administration that hired him has left office, and you think it’s big news? I suspect Barrett’s motivation is to try to neutralize the corruption stories coming out of the Abramoff case and elsewhere.
> It’s a problem that is rooted in the Republican establishment that has held power in this nation’s capital for far too long
Thats a good one. Democrats were in power for 40 years and they have basically been out of power since 1994. They will do anything to get back in power. The hate not being in power.
The American people put the Republicans in power and I expect they will stay in power after the 2006 elections. You guys thought you were going to win back the senate and house in 2002 and 2004 but it did not happen.
Ricky #18
I agree with Savantster and RLM.
We are not in rear view mirror mode here. What is happening now and in the future is paramount.
If there are any crimes in the report, which I doubt very, very seriously, then prosecute.
Other wise take care of the criminal enterprise now incompetently inhabiting today’s US government.
Paul #24
If you are not aware of the difference between then and now, take a look out the windshield.
The republican party, now rife with corruption in the white house and in the congress, is worried.
So expect a mad cleanup campaign and increasing terrorism so they can scare the shit out of the fools and further alienate the just.
Ricky, you are smart enough to know this blog is not about right and wrong because right and wrong is subjective to a liberal kook. A wrong is a right as long as they are engaged in it.
> The republican party, now rife with corruption in the white house and in the congress, is worried.
That is your opinion. Trent Lott is not guilty of anything at this point. Abramoff is not an elected official. Bush is fine. You guys want him impeached but it is not going to happen. Sorry, but I live in reality not wishful thinking like you guys.
Look for smear campaigns against black Republican Lynn Swann when he runs for governor.
Remember, Republicans hold the white house, the senate, the house, most state houses, and most governorships. I am not worried even if there is a little setback.
What is important is the economy and the war.
The economy is smoking and when "perception" catches up with "reality," you anti-capitalists will not have a chance. Tonight I think Ill take the vette out for a spin!
The war – three elections! And, a successful dinner party in Pakistan the other night when one of the top Al-Qaeda guys was killed along with 2 others.
You are either for us or against us and if you have a dinner with terrorists involved, expect a funeral afterwards.
The liberals freedom Fighter, Osama, has offered a truce. HE has also threatened to kill Americans in another attack. I know all you libs are hoping the attack is successful because you could use it for political advantage. I hope you do not get your way.
The ’06 voter should take into consideration the following:
Bush the neoCon and the republican congress have plagued us with:
Lies, Iraq war, Katrina folly, a botched Medicare/Medicaid drug plan, so called No Child Left Behind, a national economic surplus turned into a gargantuan debt, increasing lobbying crime, and endless war on terror which is in fact been a war on civil rights and liberties, a so called Homeland Security agency which is by all accounts a fetid swamp of corruption, mismanagement and ineptitude, so called Patriot Acts I & II have shredded our most sacred document, the Bill of Rights, the embrace of torture has cast the US in the role of a sordid, sadistic demon wallowing in the very "cruel and unusual punishment" forbidden by its own Constitution, NSA universal spy on Americans program has turned a nation founded on reverence for privacy, free speech and due process into a cynical Big Brother with utter contempt for individual rights or liberties, two consecutive corrupt presidential elections, mega lies, and record crime in government.
Accountability will become manifest if the republican majority is voted out, because it sends a clear message to Bush.
So Barret spent 11 years and $23 million to tell us Clinton is unethical?
Uh, okay, whatever.
Ricky and Paul
"you are doing a heck of a job …" (link here).
Ricky: I really think you should go back to school. And, please, start at the beginning.
An attack by Osama bin Laden would be nirvana for the Bush administration, not for liberals. It would validate all of its appeals to fear; it would make Cheney look like Nostradamus; and it would give Bush more of an excuse to spy on Americans. A police state would exist in the here-and-now, and all talk of investigations and impeachment would end.
How in the name of Alexander Haig could you possibly think liberals would want Osama bin Laden to successfully attack the United States? Really, of all the dumb things you’ve ever said, that is far and away the dumbest.
Saint Paul and (P)Ricky are on permanent ignore as far as I’m concerned. Their comments are so idiotic they are not even worth responding to anymore. To respond is not going to help them towards any enlightened perspective. They are hard-wired into their narrow perspectives. We just need to focus on the issues that will remove the thugs from power. Some kind of miracle conversion will not occur with these two power tools. They do not enlighten the debate, they simply bray their Scotty McClellan-style talking points about what a liberal is and how we want to hurt America.
There was a saying floating around a few years back that I’ve come to realize is really appropriate with these two trolls (3 when you include MediumTrite): "Arguing on the internet is like competing in the Special Olympics – even if you win, you’re still retarded."
I genuinely mean no offense in making that statement, and I know some will be offended. I am simply using it as an expression of futility in the situation – that I feel stupider for having read and responded to these dumbshits. Even if we win (and we DO win the debate, on all points) what have we accomplished? We knew we were right, and we knew that they had no factual basis for their idiot perspectives. And they will never admit to a defeat (just like their Golden Boy Bush.)
Go back to your Coulters, your Hannitys and your Limbaughs fellas. You cannot win any debate here. All you can do (and all you try to do) is muddy the water. You are predictably dishonest, academically infantile, and morally servile. Your elected representatives are criminals and traitors, and you have no knowledge or sense of either American history or the American spirit.
More from Rep. Slaughter: Frist & Delay Had Day Traders Working Out Of Their Offices
More regarding that: From Raw Story
#24 Paul
> "It’s a problem that is rooted in the Republican establishment that has held power in this nation’s capital for far too long"
"Thats a good one. Democrats were in power for 40 years and they have basically been out of power since 1994. They will do anything to get back in power. The hate not being in power."
*Yea sure. Dems were in power for so long because they took the country back from the robber barons and gave regular Americans have a chance to take care of themselves. Who caused the depression?
Dems will do anything to get back into power?
How about Republicans who were rejected by the citizens, now cozying up to big business? Who are they representing? They not representing you! How can you think they do? If anything, their corporate buddies want to work it so it isn’t a free market as you claim. They want to tilt the game in their favor.
The free, open market is a sham. They didn’t want the government to negotiate drug prices! Why is that? Wouldn’t that be a free/open market move? Is corporate welfare for oil companies necessary? What about NAFTA and CAFTA? Those agreements have tons of stipulations that prevent fair/open business practices. Good for US companies but severely limiting for Central/South American companies. So no regulations for the US so they can run roughshod over the planet? But the other countries HAVE to follow regulations?
So the Repubs didn’t fix the 2000 Florida election? The NAACP didn’t win a lawsuit against Catherine Harris concerning this? The Repubs didn’t prevent something like 30,000 of Florida’s voters from getting to vote? Are these practices OK with you?
The Repuds are manipulating people like you to vote for them, and then they do the opposite of what they say and rape the country. You are a puppet!
EVERYBODY should be concerned with the shady election practices that are going down. Do you want this to happen to your party?
Oh yea, our smoking economy? So it’s not a concern that China and other countries are holding our debt?
This govenment sure isn’t smaller than it was 10 years ago.
We’re at war and we are giving tax cuts to the wealthy. Brilliant. Trickle down economics is CRAP. It’s a bogus lie. The wealthy and the giant corporations hold on to the money they save from tax cuts. It does not trickle down and stimulate the economy. Employees do not reep the benefits.
Yea and try to look up that whole reasoning for going to war with Iraq. What a load. So we’ve captured about 305 of the rank #2 Al Quaida leaders. Wow, they must have a lot of #2 men. Have we found Bin Laden yet? Boy I feel safe.
As a journalist I know says, the mainstream news media has become as loyal servants of the GOP as Izvestia and Pravda were of the Soviet leadership, only in that case the Soviet public was aware they were being subjected to propaganda. Most of the American public is unaware of this systematic bias and upside-down world view presented by CNN, ABC, NBC, Washington Post, New York Times, etc.
I watched and had to smile, along with Dobbs, his interview with Delay. Most telling to me was his comment that $20.00 would only buy him a lunch at McDonalds. This was so totally beneath him..Dobbs caught on and started to address the comment, but then got ahold of himself and moved on. That comment was a slap in the face to millions of Americans who have a budget that only allows them to eat at fast food restaurants. Workng, some two jobs, and keeping their kids involved in sports, etc., the dinner at 5, seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur. DeLay is so out of touch with the people he thinks eating at McDonalds is some sort of punishment. Well, guess what…millions of Americans are receiving that ‘punishment’ everyday, while delay enjoys his paid for lunches on the lobbyists paycheck and am quite sure there isn’t a one of them that costs below a fifty dollar bill. M4 (who is so tired of being followed around the net by ‘someone’ constantly monitering every site I visit)
M4 said:
"M4 (who is so tired of being followed around the net by ‘someone’ constantly monitering every site I visit)"
Please explain what you are finding, or why you think this. I’m curious.
Nearly my whole family is life-long Republican, and none of them support this administration (nor voted for it in 2004), and are sick about these mortally corrupt neocons hijacking the GOP. Calling a crook a crook is NOT unpatriotic – quite the opposite.
"Ricky, you are smart enough to know this blog is not about right and wrong because right and wrong is subjective to a liberal kook. A wrong is a right as long as they are engaged in it."
*blink blink*
Hmm.. after saying "all politicians that comit crimes should be punished", you say that? I see.. you are living in reality.. riiiight..
Sadly, Soul Rebel is correct.. Ricky, Paul, and Medium [has his head]Right[up his ass] are no longer worth responding to at all. They can’t even read just a TINY bit, let alone engage their brains, or care about anyone or anything but themselves (as Paul pointed out, he’s gonna go take a spin in his ‘vette, never mind that near 60% of Americans can barely own ONE car, let alone an expensive "toy".. but for him, who cares? as I pointed out, the state of mind for him is "fuck the millions, I GOT MINE!!".. sick fuck, may he get all he deserves before he dies).
and again, we’re drifting off topic.. amazing how those who are totally ignorant (Paul, Ricky, Medium Right, I’m talking about you.. since you might not get that bit) keep trying to slide the spot light OFF their corrupt leaders.. Bush is fine? We’ll see about that.. you might be right.. but I’d LOVE to see you post here if he gets impeached for violations of the Constitution.. Oh, wait.. your corrupt party who has no regard for the rule of law is in power, and fighting tooth and nail to not let REALITY and TRUTH catch up to them..
Clinton was no angel, this much has been well-established (I always thought he was a bit "sly-as-a-fox", myself, very intelligent, and far from pure).
His crimes, however, when stacked up against the wave of neocon corruption (and the World-threatening Corporatist policies of this current administration), are like comparing an ebbtide to The Great Tsunami.
Still not enough spying ,beware you don’t ANNOY anybody out there bloggers.
Via Joseph Cannon
Feds want Google search records
The thing that Paul, Ricky, Medium etc. just don’ seem to understand:
WASHINGTON (AP) – The head of the Republican Party says GOP lawmakers who are guilty of wrongdoing in Washington scandals should expect to be punished whatever their political affiliation.
“The public trust is more important than party,” said Ken Mehlman, the Republican National Committee chairman. “Which is why the first solution to the problem is rooting out those who have done wrong, without regard to party or ideology.”
Gee – isn’t that what we’ve been saying all along?
Hey Saint Paul, there’s noting but corruption and crime in your party.
So how about instead of smearing sheeps blood on everyone else, you stand up to them?
Stop being a chump on the side of the road. Its all for chumps.
Meanwhile back in the real world, we have got to finish off the voting machines once and for all. Both parties need to take them to the pass, and completely expose, neutrelize, and end this threat permanently (beyond all others
End the voting machine corruption: And enforce it.
Doug Eldritch
Ken Mehlman’s epiphany (really, it’s just spin from Karl Rove, except more candid than normal) tells me that the White House has come to grips with reality and is making the best of a bad situation.
What isn’t clear is whether Denny Hastert is being hung out to dry, or whether Bush is relying on him to sell the idea that the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill will lead the fight to clean up corruption. Hard to see how he can do it…but he might have a better chance than Rick Santorum or Trent Lott, though they’ll both do a heck of a job.
RLM
They sure are scrambling to make it look like they are the ones demanding change aren’t they?
#38
I think you meant Trent Lott, not Delay.
Paul, Ricky and MediumWrong don’t even have the basic human instinct of greed. They don’t want what’s best for them, which is no corrupt politicians. As long as it’s Repbulicans, it’s OK if they’re fucking Paul, Ricky, and MediumWrong. That is called having mental problems.
Paul, Ricky, MediumWrong: Get out the G-O-P Jelly!!! And grease up!!!
As you all know, Sen. Nelson has said he sees no reason to vote no on Alito’s confirmation. Over at CCN we’ve been targeting the Dems and moderate Repubs with letters and phone calls to filibuster Alito. Someone said that Nelson was a hopeless cause and the brilliant ms in la, (author of WHO’S COUNTING), posted this reply. I think it’s a great idea and wanted to share it with you guys because – well – YOU KNOW.
The background: (covered in the "Vote For Me" section of The Companies chapter:
Ben Nelson was a popular TWO term Governor who’d lived his entire life in Nebraska when he ran against the outside, unknown Hagel in the First election Hagel won. His second term as Governor— He took overwhelmingly with 74%!!
This is significant because it was clear he was favored by the people by the polls and the predictions. His Senate run V. Hagel was right after that last landslide victory as Gov.
Paul, #28:
Why don’t you drive that vette over to Camden, NJ, Cleveland, OH or Detroit, MI and ask them how the economy is doing?
Paul loves to quote the Holy Bible. But I think he missed the part about "…as ye have done it to the least of these, My brethren, ye have also done it unto Me…"
Can’t fit too many poor people into a Corvette. And that might just be Paul’s point. "I’ve got mine. See ya’." Fine, Paul. Just stop quoting the Bible, O.K.?
wow!!!!
“The public trust is more important than party,” said Ken Mehlman, the Republican National Committee chairman. “Which is why the first solution to the problem is rooting out those who have done wrong, without regard to party or ideology.”